Gadget

Thursday, August 20, 2015

“This
is the story of my senior year in high school and how it destroyed my
life,” so Greg said of his life in the highly acclaimed and
award-winning movie based from the bestselling book by Jesse Andrews
of the same title, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.”

“Me
and Earl and the Dying Girl” is this year’s winner of the Grand
Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. In
2013, Jesse Andrews’ thought-provoking and moving young-adult novel
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl took readers by surprise with a truly
contemporary coming-of-age story, packed with smart original dialogue
and fully realized teen characters.

Director
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, who had directed highly successful episodes in
teen-oriented television series “Glee” perfectly captured the
book’s offbeat humor, rare sensitivity and unique worldview in a
feature film that chronicles a young man’s journey into adulthood
as he learns what it means to be truly selfless. The
innovative film also includes sly nods to legendary movies and tracks
by the incomparable Brian Eno, including several previously unheard
of compositions.

“The
script was funny in an unusual and unpredictable way, as well as
refreshingly honest,” says Gomez-Rejon. “At first, it reminded me
of the wonderful John Hughes movies I grew up on, but then it very
gently took an unexpected turn and became so much more than just a
comedy. I had just lost my father and I felt that if I could make
this film, it would be a way for me to express my own personal losses
and transform them through humor.”

Greg,
played by Thomas Mann, spends his life trying to present himself to
the world as the person he wants people to see, rather than the
person he actually is, according to Gomez-Rejon. “You can’t
sustain an act like that forever,” the director points out. “You’ll
have to eventually pull off that mask and deal with exposing yourself
to rejection or, worse, indifference. Once you start to show who you
really are, then the real world can react accordingly. Not everyone
will like you and you’ll say things that you’ll regret. But
you will grow from it.”

The
teenager’s deepening friendship with cancer stricken classmate
Rachel, played by Olivia Cooke, makes his posturing more difficult to
maintain. “Greg starts to face real-life challenges when he becomes
close to Rachel,” says Gomez-Rejon. “He’s been living in a
world of his own, walking around with an art-film score in his head.
Now he is engaging with a world where reality isn’t of his design.”

Even
though Greg’s story is set against the backdrop of his high-school
senior year, the appeal goes far beyond a typical teen movie, as
evidenced by the enthusiasm and commitment of the many adults
involved in the production. “The movie will be a little bit
nostalgic for older audiences,” says producer Steven Rales. “I
think they will remember the challenges and complexities of what Greg
is going through and the kinds of friendships that have a lasting
influence on you. For younger audiences, it can be a reminder that
there’s hope in the midst of all the chaos. It’s a time to make
meaningful friendships that can be everlasting.”

“Me
and Earl and the Dying Girl” opens September 16 in
cinemas from 20th Century
Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.